Annealing furnace
AssigneeWorthington Industries, Inc.
InventorMohamed M. Soliman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for treating a work item includes a cover member and a base member on which the cover member is supported. A work space is defined between the base member and the cover member for receiving at least one associated work item which is positioned therein. A first sealing member is positioned between the base member and the cover member for sealing the work space against the environment. A hood member is provided for enclosing the cover member and defining a heating and cooling space therebetween. A cooling apparatus is also provided for cooling the first seal member. The cooling apparatus comprises a first cooling fluid channel which is secured to the base member, a second cooling fluid channel which is secured to the cover member and a cooling fluid trough which is secured adjacent to the second cooling fluid channel.
Claims36
An apparatus for heat treating a work item, comprising:
- a cover member defining a vertically elongated work space for receiving at least one associated work item;
- and,
- a generally horizontally oriented base means for supporting said cover member, said base means comprising:
- a support member for supporting said cover member, and
- a base member for supporting the at least one associated work item, said base member comprising a metallic outer shell which is designed to prevent weld cracks in said outer shell as it undergoes heating, said shell comprising an upper wall having an integral curved peripheral edge, a side wall, and a weld joint therebetween, wherein said upper wall meets said side wall in a substantially vertical plane.
An apparatus for heat treating a work item, comprising:
- a cover member defining a vertically elongated work space for receiving at least one associated work item;
- and,
- a generally horizontally oriented base member for supporting the at least one associated work item, said base member being covered by said cover member and including a substantially toroidally shaped metallic outer shell which comprises:
- an upper wall having curved peripheral inner and outer edges,
- an inner cylindrical side wall,
- an inner weld joint between said upper wall inner edge and said inner cylindrical side wall,
- an outer cylindrical side wall, and
- an outer weld joint between said upper wall outer edge and said outer cylindrical side wall, wherein said inner and outer side walls meet said upper wall inner and outer curved peripheral edges in a substantially vertical plane to prevent weld cracks as said metallic outer shell undergoes heating.
An apparatus for heat treating a work item, comprising:
- a cover member defining a work space;
- a base means for supporting said cover member, said base means including a base member on which at least one associated work item is supported, said base member comprising a metallic outer shell having an integral curved upper peripheral edge that is designed to prevent weld cracks in said metallic outer shell as it undergoes heating;
- a heating hood for enclosing said cover member and defining a heating space therebetween;
- a cooling hood for enclosing said cover member when said heating hood is removed and defining a cooling space between said cover member and said cooling hood including a means for spraying a cooling fluid on said cover member;
- a first seal means for sealing between said base means and said cover member;
- and,
- a cooling means for cooling said first seal means said cooling means comprising:
- a first enclosed cooling fluid channel secured to said base means;
- a second enclosed cooling fluid channel secured to said cover member;
- and,
- a cooling fluid trough extending adjacent said second cooling fluid channel and being adapted to convey cooling fluid sprayed on said cover member away therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.